PE Tech Report

NEWSLETTER

Like this article?

Sign up to our free newsletter

HgCapital in discussions to buy back IAS

The private equity group HgCapital is in preliminary talks to re-purchase the main part of Iris Software Group, four years after selling it to Hellman & Friedman. The deal is valued at GBP425 million, although sources have stressed that a possible deal is still several weeks away, and is by no means certain.

Richard Moulton (pictured), head of private equity at international law firm Eversheds, says: “News that HgCapital is in talks with its previous investee company, Iris Software Group, is less surprising than many would at first think. Given the scarcity of high quality businesses for sale at the moment this makes eminent sense for houses on an opportunistic basis, as Graphite Capital would also attest to with their acquisition of U-Pol last year. In these uncertain times, backing for the second time a business you know well both in relation to the team and the sector can de-risk the investment. If HgCapital does complete the deal they are not the first to follow this path and neither will they be the last.”
 

Like this article? Sign up to our free newsletter

MOST POPULAR

FURTHER READING

Featured